Newcastle United may be out - but the Champions League knockout stages could still have huge ramifications for the Magpies in the race for Europe. For context, the Premier League would have been given one of these spots in four of the previous five campaigns. However, if the cup winners qualify for Europe through their league finish, as Manchester United and Manchester City did last season, the places would then transfer to the league. That means that even finishing in eighth could earn a shot at the Europa Conference League. Eddie Howe certainly won't be thinking about potential permutations or the idea of relying on others' performances in Europe to qualify for, say, the Europa League or the Champions League.

Source: Metro February 15, 2024 01:09 UTC